Semantics
by Ebony
Summary: Booth and Brennan discuss faith. Episode tag to S4 "The He In The She".


Title: Semantics  
Author: Ebony  
Rating: K  
Pairing/Characters: Brennan, Booth  
Disclaimer: Bones and all the characters belong to Kathy Reichs/Hart Hanson/FOX, no copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Booth and Brennan discuss faith. Episode tag to S4 "The He In The She".

A/N: My response to the Bones Episode Tag Meme over at LiveJournal, prompt: "Booth/Brennan, The He In The She: post-episode (post sitting in on the service), discussion about faith. Extra points if you can bring in a mention of Brennan's faith in Booth circa Aliens in a Spaceship." My second try at Bones fic, ever.

* * *

It was dark outside when Booth and Brennan walked out of the service. They made their way towards Booth s SUV slowly, neither of them really in a hurry to end the evening.

"It really is fascinating that such a diverse group of people chooses to congregate and mingle as amicably as they did," Brennan observed. "Anthropologically, each distinct grouping tends to—"

"Aw, Bones, no," Booth interrupted before she could launch into one of her Anthropology 101 lessons. "You can't sum up faith with your anthropological principles. Belief transcends things like that."

"Booth, there's a fundamental difference between faith and belief. Belief doesn't necessarily require the faith you're alluding to."

"Now you're just playing with semantics, Bones."

"No, I'm not. The term "belief" commonly refers to something believed or accepted as true."

"You know, many people believe and accept God as true. I'm one of them," Booth said wearily. Religion and faith were flammable subjects for the two of them, seeing as how they were on the opposite sides of the argument. They seemed to land this topic entirely too often, in Booth s opinion.

Brennan went on as if her partner hadn't spoken. "But "faith", from Latin word _fides_ for trust, refers to an irrational belief that doesn't rely on logical proof or material evidence, such as the existence of your God."

"And we all know Dr. Brennan doesn't believe in things that cannot be proved scientifically," Booth replied with sarcasm. "Look, Bones, I've had a good time tonight and I really don't feel like spoiling it by fighting with you over an issue we're never gonna agree on."

"Well, neither do I. I do recognize and respect your faith—"

Booth snorted a disbelieving at this. "You mean my irrational, illogical belief," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Again, Brennan seemed to ignore his reaction.

"—Yet I personally can't claim to have faith because it would go against my _beliefs_."

"So what you're saying here is that you have belief..."

"In scientific, quantifiable methods, yes."

"But you deny ever having faith? Never in your life, in anything? Gotta say, Bones..." Booth clucked his tongue, his tone distinctly unhappy. "That's kind of sad."

Brennan's initial indignation already had her inhaling deeply to disagree, but suddenly she was hit with an unpleasant memory that left her distinctly breathless. She and Hodgins, desperate and dizzy by the lack of oxygen, buried alive in her car by the Gravedigger. She remembered the stuffy, hot air, her own anxiousness and the coppery smell of blood from Hodgins' injury, but most of all she remembered the words the weary entomologist had spoken to her; _you have a lot of faith in Booth._

She had denied it, then. Faith was irrational; it was trusting in something that was logically impossible. Trusting in Booth was not irrational. But Hodgins had insisted it was faith. Was he right? She reassessed her earlier statement about faith, but found that she was still persistent to stand behind the meaning of it. But the clear disappointment in Booth's eyes and tone at her words was not something Brennan wanted, either.

The words were out sooner than she realized. "Hodgins said I had a lot of faith in you. When we were buried alive, waiting to be found."

Booth looked at her sharply. She rarely spoke of the Gravedigger incident, and if Booth was perfectly honest with himself, that suited him just fine. He knew it was probably selfish, but those excruciating hours of searching for her weren't ones he relished to relive, either. Nevertheless, Booth stopped walking and turned to face her, touching one hand briefly at her elbow in wordless encouragement. By now, the desire to ease his partner's cares came to him almost instinctually.

"I stand by what I said just now, but Hodgins..." she paused, glancing away and struggled to find the appropriate words. She didn't want to end up inadvertently insulting him again. Exhaling softly, she gazed back at Booth and held his eyes. "What I think I'm trying to say is that if I were to have faith, then I would have faith in you."

Booth was and was not surprised at the same time. That sounded like something Bones would say, and yet it had whimsy that wasn't characteristic of her which was probably why Booth felt so pleased. He knew admitting that probably wasn't easy for her, and felt particularly proud of her.

"Like I said, Bones," Booth finally spoke slowly, shrugging his broad shoulders slightly and giving her that affable, lopsided smile of his. "Semantics."

Brennan was momentarily stumped, realizing that Booth was deliberately dismissing the entire debate most likely for her benefit and comfort. Wondering once more at her partners sense of intuition, she smiled back gratefully. "The Diner?"

Booth grinned widely in response. "Depends. Will you try the pie this time?"

"You know I don't like pie, Booth," she laughed, picking up her slow pace again. Booth followed, their elbows brushing casually as they walked side by side.

"Boooones. You just need to give the pie a chance, you'd love it!"

They bickered laughingly about the pros and cons of pies the rest of the way down to the SUV.

(fin)


End file.
